I have tried wild started cultures before and one other purchased culture. I am so pleased with the CFH San Francisco culture. In the week I have had it I have made about 7 loaves of bread and my family is very impressed. It is easy to maintain and rises beautifully. I use a no knead method and...

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Additional Information

Reviews

87 Reviews For "San Francisco Sourdough Starter"

I LOVE this starter! I have made pancakes twice with it, I have 2 loaves of bread proofing right now, and I plan to try out some pretzels this week. It is so easy to maintain. I keep about a cup in my fridge and I've been keeping some out for daily use. LOVE it! Next I plan to freeze some so I will truly never be without sourdough again!

LOVE IT!!!

by Nutrition.Nazi on 12 Wed,2012

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I got this starter for free with an ebook promotion. I had never done anything with sourdough before, but with all of the health benefits, I was excited to try it. It was very easy to set up. I love the fact that it is the only starter that I will ever need to purchase and that I can share some with friends so that they can have their own starter. I am going to try a yogurt culture now.

I have enjoyed my sourdough starter immensely!!

by Kelley on 01 Thu,2013

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I've been on a gluten free diet for about a year now, but I still crave good bread. I wanted to start a sourdough starter so that I could make healthier breads that are soaked and easier to digest. This starter has been so easy to maintain, and the breads I have made are wonderful. I now regularly make pancakes, waffles, tortillas, and a rustic bread loaf. All of these are soaked over night, and none of them bother my stomach! The texture is amazing and the flavor is delicious!

It lives!!!!

by HarryK on 11 Sun,2013

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When trying to decide, which starter might be best for me, I read the description of each starter. I couldn't decide on just one, so ended up ordering four different starters.

That was about a month ago, so far I have only used one, "The San Francisco Starter." I can tell you, it works like a charm.

Although, it isn't necessary, I put the starter in a dough proofer box and kept the temperature at a constant 85 degrees. The starter is growing like mad!!! At first I didn't want to discard any of the starter so I ended up with three containers of starter. It finally dawned on me that if I kept adding jar after jar of starter, I would soon have to make an addition to the size of my kitchen. I suggest following the directions and discard extra starter as directed or make lots of pancakes.

My dream was to have all four starters going at the same time. I pictured myself baking lots of bread and comparing the flavor of each starter. Well folks, that was one dumb idea. At the age of 71, taking care of one starter is about all I can handle. I will keep the other three starters in the cabinet and use as needed, that is if I ever need another starter. I might end up giving the starters as gifts to friends, but darn, I am not for sure I want them baking better sourdough bread than I am baking,,,lol.

I have a feeling all of the starters are delicious, I can assure you the San Francisco Starter is terrific and I highly recommend it.

Perfect!

by Angel on 11 Sat,2013

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Love it! I am making einkorn sourdough bread, it's exactly what I was looking for!

The Best

by Tracie on 12 Wed,2013

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The bread I make with this starter has the best flavor of any sourdough I've eaten. Have been making sourdough for years and absolutely love this. I plan on trying other starters as well.

Vigorous

by Lori on 12 Mon,2013

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Very vigorous right out of the package. No slowing it down either!! :) Good stuff

great

by mamie on 12 Mon,2013

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Easy to active and the bread tasted good. This was my first try with sourdough and it worked out well.

Excellent product!

by LanDebLew on 12 Thu,2013

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Best bread, most active starter, I love it!

Excellent starter

by Bill on 01 Wed,2014

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Real San Francisco flavor and aroma. Has developed beautifully over the last two weeks and makes a great loaf.

fantastic product!

by sarah on 01 Wed,2014

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the san francisco starter is amazing! i have been baking bread with commercial yeast for years - the quality of the breads i've made with this starter is vastly superior, in both flavor and texture. it's also really easy to maintain; i have been feeding mine roughly once weekly, and it is thriving!

Very easy to work with!

by BUSY MOM IN AL on 02 Thu,2014

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I have tried several times in the past to make my own starter and it did not work. When the San Francisco Starter went on sale, I decided to give it a try. The directions on the starter were easy to follow and when I had a question, the online chat support was very informative.

I am keeping mine on the counter and feeding it in the morning and evening. It is healthy and bubbly. I wanted to experiment more with it and not have to pull it out of the fridge and work with it a few days before. It makes awesome bread, pancakes, croutons, and muffins! I learned that I can substitute the "discarded" starter for the milk in my regular muffin recipe. They turn out just as good!

I would recommend this starter, the flavor is wonderful and my whole family loves it.

I found a new hobby!

by Connie on 02 Mon,2014

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Baking sourdough isn't for everyone, I find it extremely challenging. I live in a high altitude town and am still trying to make an acceptable loaf of bread, but I'm not giving up! It took a full 7 days for my starter to be in a perfect state for baking. In the meantime, we really enjoyed a couple of mornings of pancakes! This starter made this project easy to start and came with a few basic recipes . . . It's up to me to perfect it, and I've taken on the challenge!

Great product

by Flysmith on 02 Wed,2014

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I struggled several months with home-grown sourdough starter with little success. This one worked great. Just follow the instructions closely

Great!

by Maggie on 03 Wed,2014

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After years of wanting to bake good sourdough I'm finally able to do so!

San Francisco Ex-Pats Thumbs Up

by NavyMom on 04 Thu,2014

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Followed the instructions that came with the product and online videos.
My now ripe starter helps me produce a bread that is so authentic my friends who are SF ExPats were fooled.

Flavor, crust and crumb are all perfect. Thank you for making it possible for me to bake a perfect sourdough bread.

Love The Flavor

by Nancyz on 05 Tue,2014

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I am originally from California and took good sour dough bread for granted. Then I moved to New England - no good sour dough to be found. I experimented trying to make my own and was disappointed. When I found your website I decided to try again. I followed the directions that came with the San Francisco sour dough starter and have been making the most amazing bread ever since. I have called with a couple questions and everyone was so helpful. Can't thank you enough!!!

Great Product

by abbie on 07 Tue,2014

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Still learning my way with making sourdough. Starter is quite vigorous right out of the box. I'm still in learning mode.

Awesome Starter

by ? on 07 Wed,2014

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This starter makes great bread!

Great Starter

by Wave on 08 Sun,2014

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I received this starter on a very hot day, even so it began bubbling in no time! I followed the directions and watched the videos and was baking the most delicious bread and pancakes! The family loves it as well!

Excellent bubbly starter

by Jennigui on 10 Mon,2014

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This is my very first starter although I have cultured vegetables before with the BE starter but for making bread I have never done anything like this and I have made 1 successful loaf and am working on number two today.

Excellent

by Linda on 10 Tue,2014

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Delicious bread is being baked every week!

A superior product that produces a delicious loaf of bread!

by Amber on 11 Tue,2014

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I'm so pleased with this product. I love bread but have always been intimidated by the bread making process.With this starter and the Cultures for Health instructional videos,I had no problem activating the starter and baking my first loaf of bread. And, not to toot my own horn, but the loaf was amazing, maybe the tastiest bread I've ever eaten. While I would to claim that this was because of my mastery of baking, I know it is because of the superior starter I received from Cultures for Health!

makes me miss CA

by Ali on 11 Wed,2014

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This sourdough starter is AWESOME!!!

Great product

by Ed on 12 Fri,2014

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I have had the starter up and running for a few weeks now. It worked as advertised and has been great. The bread is outstanding and we have really enjoyed everything else we have made. The sourdough sour cream waffles have been a hit with everyone. The cookies also. But the bread is the best. I grew up in SF and have missed the flavor ever since. This is it!

san francisco sourdough starter

by grizz on 12 Mon,2014

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Absolutely wonderful have not been home in years, sure was sweet to get that taste again. so good so easy to do even I was scared, I never had the experience where I had to keep a starter going before. Its great try it or any of their flavors. Any one can do this! I love all the recipes I can do with the left over starter to! Thanks for the great starter, wonderful recipes, and instructional videos.

Easy

by Fittje4 on 01 Fri,2015

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Great product very easy to start and keep up

Excellent!

by Marlene on 01 Tue,2015

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I received this sourdough started as a part of an e-book bundle. This is so easy to do and maintain. It makes the best bread and pancakes!

I am new to the world of sourdough baking and was a bit intimidated about even trying. It just all sounded so complicated! My daughter-in-law recommended the sourdough cultures found here and, since my favorite sourdough bread commercially prepared was San Francisco, that is what I chose. The instructions were simple to follow and my starter performed exactly as describe. Since I am now comfortable with making bread and pancakes, I am looking forward to adding to our enjoyment of sourdough. I highly recommend this starter!

Outstanding product!

by Lynnie on 06 Mon,2015

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If you are looking to purchase a sourdough starter, this one is a no brainer! Wonderful product that has performed as promised. Received the starter quickly and instructions were easy to follow. I have made 3 loaves of delicious sour dough with this starter and look forward to branching out to other items.

A foolproof starter. Great taste.

by Hal on 07 Thu,2015

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I have used this starter about ten times now, and it is very robust and forgiving. My neighbors who are sourdough fans love the taste and those who've had Boudin or Tartine sourdoughs from SF say it's right there. I've experimented with several flours and have found that bread flour might be best. It creates a little more structure and oven rise without changing the taste. Using 1/3 whole wheat worked well too, although it reduced the sourness.

Great starter!

by Mike on 07 Sun,2015

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The price and quality of this product were excellent. The instructions were well written and easy to follow. The instructional videos were also extremely helpful, clear, and easy to understand.

Took off and has not disappointed!

by Bunontherun on 11 Fri,2015

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I followed the directions and WOW, I had very active starter in half the time required. I proceeded to go ahead and get baking and I was not disappointed. This is, without question, the BEST starter I have ever used. The texture of the bread and the taste are exceptional! I will recommend that my other starter starved friends order from Cultures for Health.

Love the starter!

by Lute on 11 Fri,2015

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I bought two kits of starter; the first one did not activate properly. I activated the second one, and it worked perfectly! I have made several loaves of bread, and some sourdough cinnamon rolls. All turned out beautiful and delicious. Having some good recipes for various baked items is a good idea; this starter will get a workout in my house!

Easy use

by Cair on 01 Sun,2016

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Loved the fresh smell of sourdough!

Excellent product and company!

by Eve on 01 Thu,2016

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The sourdough culture is a great product and this company provides excellent email support. Used the clay baker today, and I had the best results. Highly recommend this company and its products

Great Starter

by Laurie on 03 Wed,2016

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I have made my own sourdough starter before but it never really did work out. This SF Sourdough has worked out great right from the get go and tastes just awesome. :)

Excellent product

by KMD76 on 03 Fri,2016

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This was easy and worked great. Very clear instructions and the starter has done great and is more active than I would have imagined. I have made a variety of things, both sourdough bread and things from the discard. Highly recommend this to anyone interested in trying out sourdough.

Great Product

by Bob on 03 Sun,2016

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Makes a wonderful loaf of sourdough, and some fantastic pancakes.

Great Product

by Bob on 03 Sun,2016

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Makes a great loaf of sourdough bread, and some fantastic pancakes. I too, have discovered why you need to discard some of the dough, unless you have stock in a flour mill. Wonderful product.

Delicious and Reliable

by Stevie on 03 Mon,2016

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The starter has been active for a few months. I add it to bread, pancakes, pizza dough, and it performs consistently and yields delicious results.

So EASY!

by ElleOnWheelz on 03 Mon,2016

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Although I have established sourdough starters in the past, I was having difficulty this time around. I'm so glad that I found the Cultures for Health site because the SF Sourdough Starter is great and it couldn't have been easier! I bake on the weekends so I keep my starter in the fridge and feed weekly, which is working out well. I highly recommend this starter.

Best sourdough starter

by BJ on 05 Sat,2016

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I've tried so many sourdough starters over the year, but this one is hands-down the best. I've been using it for a few months now and can honestly say, last week I made the best loaf of bread I have ever made, and that number is in the thousands.

Easy to use

by gouche on 06 Thu,2016

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Bought this for my sour dough course, Easy and fun to use. Makes great bread. Love it

So Fun!

by Hayley on 07 Fri,2016

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I activated my sourdough starter over a year ago and it's still going strong and making delicious bread (and pizza crust, and crackers and pretzels!)
I have so much fun doing this... like I'm taking part in an ancient tradition and getting back to the beauty of truly homemade!
Definitely recommend this product.

Love IT.

by Shellbert on 09 Wed,2016

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Made my first two loaves of bread today . So yummy and perfect sourness. Keeps on growing!

Love IT.

by Shellbert on 09 Wed,2016

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Made my first two loaves of bread today . So yummy and perfect sourness. Keeps on growing!

Delicious

by Morgan on 10 Sat,2016

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I adore soudough bread! I've never made bread before but my very first loaves came out wonderful! It made so much bread that one got stale but I was able to make it into stuffing yesterday and it was so freaking good! Easy but messy to maintain I highly recommend. Such a fun project!

Excellent!

by Michele on 11 Sun,2016

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I visited San Fran earlier this year and couldn't get enough of the bread. I also couldn't get any of the bakeries there to sell me some starter. When I got home I ordered this starter. It is a dried starter, but the directions were easy to follow and it worked. I make a fresh loaf of sourdough sandwich break every weekend and love the flavor. I especially like that this bread lasts almost a week before starting to grow mold. So unlike fresh yeast breads, I am more likely to get it all eaten before it goes bad.

So glad to have my SF starter going again.

by Jeanie on 11 Wed,2016

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I lost my original SF starter after about years because of breaking glass into the jar it was stored in. It makes the best textured bread and we love the taste.

I lost my family starter after 25 years and now have sourdough back in my life

by jack on 11 Sun,2016

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I had been given some starter that had been in the family for over 60 years. I raised my kids on sourdough bread, waffles and pancakes and then we moved and it died after having it for 25 years. I've tried several times with other products and had no luck getting the familiar taste and maintenance routines back. This product just worked for me. The e-book is such a gift in that it covers all of the mysterious parts. I have had active starter for 12 days now and have a vigorous culture growing, have baked bread and made waffles. I now have my happy wife back!

Yay soudough!!

by MurphyMaiden on 12 Sat,2016

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After unsucessfully harvesting the wild yeast in the area I finally broke down and bought this starter,

I am very glad I did. I now enjoy bakng with the same leavening that is as old as baking itself! Truly flavorful breads, truly live and active cultures!

Great Startet

by Llama lady on 12 Mon,2016

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This is the greatest starter I have ever used. My last batch lasted over a year then I went on vacation and forgot it on the counter. So had to start all over easy to use and taste great

FINALLY!!

by Jessica James at Rainy May Farm on 12 Thu,2016

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After YEARS of attempting to catch usable wild yeast I just decided to order some. I am sooo glad I did! I have been using this starter almost non-stop since I got it (6 weeks ago) It is SO wonderfu. Oh the breads, the biscuits, the pancakes :) Yay!! I have back-up cultures in the fridge and am sharing my cultures and my recipes with anyone nearby (Locust Grove, OK)

Success!

by Joyce on 01 Sat,2017

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This is my first attempt at sourdough and the San Francisco starter performed as promised! I followed the package insert and first 2 loaves were beautiful and delicious. My only regret is having to discard; although, I did make a lovely batch of pancakes. We are a Paleo (80%) family so not too many carbs. I'll probably add discards to my compost. So happy with our sourdough bread!

Still growing it. It's doing OK

by Dj on 03 Thu,2017

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Still growing it. It looks like it is going to be fine.
Hope it tastes like the San Francisco Sourdough I grew up with.

Great!

by Malicek on 05 Mon,2017

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Bubbling away!

Very good product!

by baking mom on 05 Mon,2017

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I have tried wild started cultures before and one other purchased culture. I am so pleased with the CFH San Francisco culture. In the week I have had it I have made about 7 loaves of bread and my family is very impressed. It is easy to maintain and rises beautifully. I use a no knead method and it makes wonderfully chewy pleasantly sour artisian bread. I am so pleased and I will be baking 1-2 loaves with it every day for as long as I can :)

Excellent product

by Amaia on 05 Fri,2017

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I have, in the past, made starters from scratch. This was well worth the investment and time saver. Getting ready to make my first loaf.

Great!

by lynn on 05 Wed,2017

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Had no problems getting starter going and made a couple of great sourdough bread loaves for the first time!

very happy with the results

by happy customer on 08 Wed,2017

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I tried to do my own starter with no success. Eventually I decided to just buy the starter from this site, and it started working immediately. I'm not an experienced bread maker, and my first loaves turned out fantastic!

San Francisco Sour Dough Starter

by MonicaH59 on 08 Fri,2017

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I started several days ago. Our house is relatively warm (80 degrees) ideal for starter. It is the 3rd day and bubbling. Can't wait to make English Muffins.

Great Product

by Ray on 09 Wed,2017

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Everything worked as advertised, easy and cheap. Makes great sourdough bread

Excellent Product!

by MC on 09 Sat,2017

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Absolutely the best. Easy to do and works like a dream.

Real deal

by Breakbreadson!!! on 09 Sun,2017

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This is the real deal, makes great bread that everyone loves.

Excellent Starter!

by Thistley on 07 Sun,2014

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I was a little nervous about ordering the starter with the heat here in Fl. in the early summer. It arrived in fine shape and was bubbling away within 3 days. Followed the instructions exactly and made my first successful loaf of sourdough bread within a week! I’ve tried making sourdough in the past with my home made sourdough starter and had miserable results. With this starter I’ve gone on to try other sourdough recipes with great success; my favorite being a light rye sourdough with caraway seeds. This S.F. starter has surpassed my expectations!

Excellent Starter

by mdd on 10 Wed,2015

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I have never used a bread starter before and my first loaf of bread was perfect. Starter was easy to use, instruction was perfect. Real San Francisco flavor and aroma. My family loves it.

So much easier than trying to harvest wild yeasts myself!

by Sue on 05 Wed,2016

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after trying 4 times to make my own starter I resigned to 'cheating' and buying a starter. It was a huge success and so easy. For less than $20 (including shipping) I have healthy, tasty english muffins and pancackes any day I want. I haven't made the bread yet, but with this starter, I'm sure that my 'learning curve' will be shorter! :-)

Great quality, very active and resilient starter

by Oxyria on 02 Tue,2017

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I should preface this by saying when I opened the box there was dehydrated starter that had spilled through the whole package, as the packet had burst.

That said, I was able to salvage most of the dehydrated starter and had absolutely no difficulty reactivating it. The starter is very healthy, and it's easy to bake delicious bread.

I can't give it 5 stars on everything, but it's a great product

Response from CFH: Oh my, we are so sorry the packet was open! Please feel free to contact us anytime for support, as we're happy to help in replacing items that are defective!

very happy

by suzanna on 09 Fri,2017

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I purchased the Sourdough starter after many failed attempts to get one going on my own. The starter worked perfectly and the instructions are clear. Having a great time learning about the variety of things to make with sourdough.

Great starter

by roanna on 09 Tue,2014

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I have really enjoyed this starter, I did exactly as they said and it works great. After a long proof (16 hours) it makes a very nice sour bread. It activates quite quickly after a feeding, my home was probably 72 degrees.

Awesome

by nick on 04 Sat,2015

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Loved the Sourdough. It puffed right up and tasted great in bread. It did not work out so well when I tried to make pancakes. Otherwise a good investment. I just don't like the initial startup price especially if you are one who will forget to feed it weekly in the fridge and it dies. I am happy I bought it when I did. I feel that if I were to order it in summer (North Carolina Heat) might kill it.

CFH note: A starter stored in the fridge will last a very long time without feeding but it will get a dark liquid layer on top when it is hungry. Pour off the liquid layer, measure the amount of starter and feed with an equal amount of water and not quite double the flour. Allow the starter to sit at room temperature for several hours then put an airtight lid on it and store it in the fridge )pr continue feeding to bake). For the best flavor, weekly feedings are recommended but it is always worth it to give a neglected starter a chance to recover.

Very happy with the starter.

by Janine on 05 Tue,2015

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I'm very happy with the starter and all the advice, tutorials and recipes you offer on the website. I've baked a few loaves; have a starter in the fridge; Made pancakes, English muffins and waffles; dried some starter, and just took two loaves from the dried starter. I would highly recommend this starter to anyone wanting the best sourdough bread!

Arrived the very next day, I used the cheapest shipping also!

by HaleighBaleigh on 01 Fri,2014

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I am super impressed with their incredibly FAST shipping. I bought it on wednesday morning, and paid for the cheapest shipping which said it would take 3-5 days or something like that, I got it NEXT DAY!!!! I have never had that happen before! Incredible customer service also! I can't wait to make bread with it!

Working good now

by Tom on 11 Thu,2014

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After initially receiving what apparently was some type of yogurt culture, the company sent the correct culture which is now working fine.

CFH Note ~ Mix ups don't happen often but when they do, it is important to let us know right away. Feeding a yogurt starter flour is sure to result in a great deal of frustration!

Delicious but slow to start

by Alibaba on 01 Wed,2016

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I love the mild sourdough flavor this strain yields. I've made my own starter before (flour+water+time) and it took just as long to activate (I thought purchasing a culture would be faster!). Despite the fact that it took well over a week to get this culture healthy and vigorous it yields a very nice mild sourdough flavor. I recommend this product.

CFH Note~ It is not uncommon for a starter to be a little sluggish to get started in the cooler winter months but we are always available to help with a few suggestions for speeding up the process. Please contact Customer Support if you have any questions or issues.

Great tasting bread

by My on 03 Sat,2016

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I really like this starter, so easy to use. The "sour" flavor is not that sour after only couple days of baking.

WIP...

by Sourdough Newbie on 04 Fri,2016

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I'm sure with time, I will be able to make sourdough bread with a great flavor, but at this point the only thing I've been able to do with starter is to make pancakes and waffles. I followed the instructions with package but had difficulties achieving a full activation due to suggested temperatures for the rising process. I checked the website and found the instructions to be different. Contacted customer service and they stated to follow the package instructions that they updated and the videos on the website shouldn't be followed that I should proof at a lower temp.... so 2 different instructions, for being new to sourdough starter, it is confusing and hoping the starter is forgiving and maybe update the outdated videos? Can't wait for a loaf of bread and not throwing out dense, tasteless bricks.

Response from CFH: We are happy to continue to work with you! Sourdough is an art and science, and we do our best to keep up with the changing conditions as we learn more and more about the intricacies of baking with sourdough.

Another awesome product from Cultures for Health

by Phil on 07 Thu,2016

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Simple process following the instructions enclosed with product. I have converted mine to Whole Wheat Fluor.

It worked

by TNTubaGuy on 06 Wed,2016

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Product arrived ahead of time. After a week I attempted a load with a perfect starter. I ended up with two bricks from a very sticky dough. Contrary to your encouragement, I apparently CAN'T do this.

Response from CFH: We're so sorry to hear this! Our attempt to reach you for more support was unsuccessful, so please contact us for help. We'll do our best!

Some will n Some wont . . .

by John P on 08 Sat,2015

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The same product last time was awesome, this time it is so-so. Time will tell.

CFH Note ~ Sourdough starters are very stable in a dehydrated state, the most common issue with activation is a temperature that is a little low. If the sourdough starter seems sluggish, continue to discard and feed and find a slightly warmer location for your starter, it should be much more active within a few feedings.

Did not work

by gbs on 12 Fri,2016

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I followed the directions for the started to the "T" however it did not grow..I also emailed the company for help, but never got a response. Very disappointed after reading all the great reviews.

Response from CFH: We are terribly sorry the starter was not working! We attempted to reach you via email a few weeks ago, but perhaps the message was stuck in spam. We have again emailed you to see if we can reach you. Please let us know by contacting us directly on the website's Live Chat feature if you do not get our message!

Great starter

by Kim on 01 Thu,2014

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This is the first time I have tried managing a starter. The more I learn about the food industry and all the additives and crap that go into commercial products... the more I want to make my own foods from scratch!

This was a great New Year's 'science project'. At first the directions seemed intimidating but once you get started it's easy and fun! My starter woke up after about 3-4 days and has been what I call "Happy" ever since.

I have shared it with a few others who have all reported great success. I learn something new with each batch I make.

A few points: the bread flour definitely gives a better rise than all purpose(a big difference), inside the oven with the light on seems to give a perfect environment and my rise times are much shorter than the one's quoted in the directions. I am getting full proofing with good flavor after 3-5 hours. When letting rise longer, they collapse from overproofing :( I live in AZ so not sure if the drier climate is a factor.

Overall, a great product and I plan to purchase other variations!

White blob

by Gee on 08 Mon,2016

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Wouldn't buy again

Response from CFH: We're sorry the starter did not work for you! Please contact us at Customer Support and we'd be happy to help you. We can almost always get thing turned around!

Didn't work for me. :(

by Laney on 03 Mon,2014

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I was very excited to use this starter. I followed instructions and waited for it to grow. . . . Nothing. Tried for a week and yet nothing happened. I am very disappointed. I have experience with other starters with no problems and I was expecting to have this grow and be used within a week. Disappointment all over the place.

Response from CFH: Please contact customer support for troubleshooting advice before discarding product. Many cultures can be saved with minor adjustments.

Did not work

by Jmack on 01 Wed,2016

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Starter did not work waste of time an money would not order nothing else from this site sanfransico sourdough starter

Response from CFH: We are terribly sorry about your experience! Please contact CFH so we can troubleshoot and ensure your success, as we are here to assist!

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Ingredients

San Francisco Sourdough Starter Ingredients

Organic white wheat flour, live active cultures

This product contains no GMO ingredients.

San Francisco Sourdough Starter Allergen Information

Manufactured in a facility that processes products containing gluten.

Non-GMO

Questions

Questions on San Francisco Sourdough Starter

I am slightly confused once my sourdough starter has been activated and placed in the fridge (I am an infrequent baker) I am to take the starter out of the fridge and feed it 2-3 times prior to baking with it. However, do I remove 1/4 to 1/2 cup of starter each time I feed it while letting it come out of hibernation or just on the initial feeding. I am not sure how to build up the amount of starter if I am to remove a bit of the starter culture each time.

When you are ready to bake and need the starter active, you only want to take out a small portion to feed so as to not use a ton of ingredients in trying to get it awake again. So you can feed either 1/4 or 1/2 cup to start with. In 8-12 hours, discard down again to 1/4 or 1/2 and feed. In 8-12 hours, discard again and feed. Once your starter has shown activity 3 times reliably after each feeding, you can then stop discarding and start building up your starter: measure it, then feed it equal parts water and flour.

My question is, I have a loaf pan for the long french breads, it has 2 places to make 2 loafs of bread, I did not see you cut your bread on the top before baking, can I use this loaf pan, to make long loafs of bread, this recipe looks kinda small, to make two large loafs of bread, kinda like a long baget type.

The Basic Sourdough Bread recipe will make two small loaves or 1 large loaf. If your pans are large, you may want to double the recipe.

I just got my San Francisco sourdough starter. I'm anxious it start activating it, and want to be successful. I have kombucha fermenting in my kitchen. I also run my yogurt maker about once a week. How far apart must I keep them from my sourdough starter? Please help.

To minimize the risk of cross contamination, you should keep a minimum of 4 feet between different culturing foods / beverages.

This is a starter, so you must activate it and feed it to keep it alive. Once it is active (bubbling and increasing in size), you will continue to feed it, and use parts of it to make many, many loaves of bread. See here for more information: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/sourdough Be sure to look at the section "Caring For Your Sourdough Starter: Activation and Feeding".

I am using white flour to activate my starter as per your instructions but I only use sprouted spring wheat flour for my baking. My question is, once my started is activated and happy, do I follow your article about "switch to new flour" to try to feed my starter sprouted flour instead of white flour?

Or can I continue to feed the starter the white flour BUT use my sprouted flour for the baking? For example, will my bread dough still rise by using sprouted flour instead of white flour for the recipes?

Thank you in advance.

There is no need to switch your starter to the new flour. You can continue feeding with white flour and baking with wheat or any other flour or flour combination. Your bread should still rise beautifully.

This starter came up as an heirloom starter. Are you able to give details of its pedigree? Able to verify the region it came from and how far back it has been used?

We acquired and have maintained the cultures for approximately 4 years.

We maintain the cultures from evolving away from the original culture by only working with one at a time and we activate them from a previous dried batch, manufacture more, and dry it again. The drying and reactivating process doesn't harm the culture and ensures it's not sitting around in-between working picking up other yeasts and bacteria.

How many ounces is in the box of San Francisco Sourdough Starter and does it really taste like sourdough from San Francisco? I have had other "sourdough" breads that were sadly lacking that great flavor.

Our San Francisco sourdough starter culture contains Lactobacillus sanfrancisco bacteria and wild yeast Candida humilis giving this sourdough starter that famous San Francisco taste. The package contains .24 oz. of dehydrated starter, just mix with flour and water to start your journey into the wonderful world of sourdough!

Hi.. Just wondering if these Sourdough starters are in a dried form or in a ball of dough of some sort? I've tried other cultures from elsewhere that came in a dried format and I'm likely not going to be around when they arrive in the mail.. I just need to inform the neighbor kid to put it in fridge or a cool spot if required (since it's almost winter here).. Thx!

They are in fact dried! The sourdough starters are fine at room temperature for 6+ months. So even if your neighbor simply put the package in your home where it's room temperature, it would be fine!